Town board slowly marches through CRC expansion discussion

Apr. 4, 2013

Keith Decker from Spokes pumps up the tires in Blake McGrew's bike at the Windsor Community Recreation Center in this file photo. The Windsor Town Board is gathering information about the possibility of expanding the recreation center. / Beacon Library

Before that can happen, though, the board asked that there be a better picture to see what an expansion would look like and how much it would cost.

The Town Board asked staff to put together a proposal to receive more community input on the specifics of an expansion while also balancing cost.

The staff will bring forward a proposal after the Town Board completes discussion in the next few weeks, said Melissa Chew, the director of Parks, Recreation and Culture for the town.

The sentiment driving the request for more public input came mostly from board members’ desire to change the pace of the proceedings.

“We need to slow down,” said board member Robert Bishop-Cotner. “We need to make sure this is really what the community wants.”

The discussion began with a report from Chew with information the board requested in January. The report included researching potential grant opportunities, partnerships and similar projects in other communities.

And while there was interest in partnerships as well as grant opportunities, she said, the project needs more details before those can be pursued.

The board’s hope is that those details may come from more public input.

The expansion currently being discussed comes from a study the town did in 2011 through a partnership with the YMCA. It found strong support for an indoor leisure pool and lap pool, as well as space for weight training and cardio exercise.

The project currently being discussed would include all of those amenities in a $14 million expansion. Currently, the facility has one gym, a multipurpose room, two classrooms, a small fitness studio and a commercial kitchen as well as a few multi-use areas used for arcade games and pool tables.

The comparison of recreation centers in other communities included a survey of 19 different communities — ranging in size from Fort Collins at 145,000 people to Glendale at 4,430 people .

The survey included information about how the community recreation centers affected private recreation facilities.

While the board is cautiously pursuing the project, some members are still have a positive outlook for the project’s future.

“I would support anything that keeps this thing rolling,” said board member Myles Baker.